Chapter 71: Finlay’s Arrival

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Finlay’s Arrival

"Make sure you explain this clearly to everyone."

Vili gave Old Yor a meaningful look.

Old Yor’s heart skipped a beat. He understood implicitly. "I understand, Lord Village Chief."

Vili’s meaning was clear. No matter how much money the Village Chief personally gave, the message Old Yor delivered to everyone had to paint the Village Chief in a positive light.

Vili didn’t say anything more. Old Yor was a smart man; he knew what to do.

"Mark out one mu of land nearby and build a stone fence around it." Vili gestured to Old Yor. "Then, on the enclosed land, apply three times the fertilizer used for Bean planting."

The fertilizer here wasn’t chemical, of course, but natural—things like plant ash and excrement.

"Three times?"

Old Yor asked, a little uncertain, "Isn’t that too much?"

An excessive amount of fertilizer wasn’t beneficial for crop growth; in fact, it could kill them in the budding stage.

"Just listen to me." Vili’s knowledge of the Star-Spotted Snow Root surpassed anyone else’s. "Also, have Yadon take a few young men to the outskirts of the Bole Forest. Have them pick a cartload of Cold Tooth Fruit and Flower Plum Grass. While they’re at it, have them chop half a cartload of branches from the Foggy Tree and bring them back. I have a use for them."

The reason the Divar Family had failed to cultivate the Star-Spotted Snow Root wasn’t because their planting methods weren’t advanced enough, but because the anti-decay substance within it hadn’t been activated. In places where the Star-Spotted Snow Root was successfully grown, the soil inevitably contained elements that stimulated this substance.

It wasn’t the Divar Family’s fault for not discovering this, because the Star-Spotted Snow Root, to some extent, had already transcended the level of an ordinary medicinal herb.

Therefore, to successfully cultivate the Star-Spotted Snow Root, the activity of its anti-decay substance needed to be activated. The Cold Tooth Fruit, Flower Plum Grass, and Foggy Tree branches that Vili had just mentioned, when combined in specific proportions, then burned and cold-soaked, could produce an elemental fertilizer to substitute for the stimulating elements in the soil.

"Understood, Lord Village Chief."

Old Yor committed Vili’s words to memory. Although he didn’t know why, he knew that following orders was certainly the right choice.

Yadon was quick to act. That very afternoon, he led a dozen or so young men from the village and finished gathering everything Vili needed.

Vili didn’t waste any time either, creating the special elemental fertilizer for the Star-Spotted Snow Root that night.

The very next day, both the natural and the special fertilizers were mixed into the soil. Five villagers, selected by Old Yor, were put in charge of planting the Star-Spotted Snow Root.

Under Vili’s guidance, the men buried the twenty-odd Star-Spotted Snow Root seeds in the soil.

The Star-Spotted Snow Root required a lot of nutrients, so when planting, the seeds had to be spaced far apart. On average, only one seed was planted per three square meters. Because Vili placed great importance on this, someone was assigned to stand guard even at night to prevent wild animals from destroying the seeds.

「Five days later.」

"Let’s go, Wally!"

With a Bow and Arrow on his back and a Hunting Knife and rope at his waist, Vili dragged Wally out of his bear den.

"Are you sure Wally won’t cause trouble for you? He’s such an unruly little guy."

When Vilia learned that Vili was taking Wally into the Bole Forest, she expressed her doubts.

Vili smiled. "He’ll be a great hunting partner. Just wait for the extra food tonight."

Wally seemed to know Vili was taking him on a long trip. He circled Vili excitedly, jumping and running, his mouth wide open as if in a smile.

Vilia felt a pang of jealousy. In her eyes, Wally was an ungrateful creature. Even though Vili almost never took care of him, he still remained loyally by Vili’s side.

"Lord Village Chief!"

Vili and Wally had just left the house when they saw Yadon sprinting toward them, his face flushed with excitement. "The Star-Spotted Snow Root, it’s sprouted!"

Just after dawn, the villager on watch last night had suddenly discovered about ten grayish-green shoots poking out of the ground.

He had wanted to report it to Vili immediately, but with no one else to guard the plot and considering Vili might still be asleep, he hadn’t reported it right away.

’So they’ve finally sprouted...’

Vili didn’t seem particularly surprised. The Star-Spotted Snow Root sprouted quickly after being planted, but this was only the first step. A series of complex and rigorous cultivation tasks would follow to ensure its survival until next spring.

"I see. If you have time, go find some people and bring back more of the things I had you gather the other day."

Vili instructed. Although he was also heading into the Bole Forest, he didn’t need to handle such minor tasks personally.

Yadon nodded quickly. "Yes, Lord Village Chief!"

"Keep up the good work. Once Fandou Village expands, there will be plenty of big opportunities for you."

Vili clapped his peer on the shoulder, offering him a bit of a carrot.

Yadon’s face instantly flushed red. "I... I will definitely not disappoint you, Lord Village Chief!"

With that, Yadon sprinted off again, feeling a surge of motivation.

Vili shook his head with a smile and led the impatient Wally toward the Bole Forest.

「An hour later.」

Vili had already left Fandou Village. Old Yor and Lake stood before the cultivated land, watching the Bean planting while also checking on the sprouting Star-Spotted Snow Root.

"Looks like someone’s coming!" a villager suddenly said, looking into the distance.

Lake and Old Yor’s gazes both turned in the same direction.

A black and gold carriage drawn by two horses slowly approached. Around it, six guards clad in Armor rode alongside. Even from a distance, it was clear they were not ordinary people.

"Who could that be?"

Neither Lake nor Old Yor had any idea who would come to Fandou Village at a time like this.

’Could it be people from the Lord Baron of Diamond Town? Unlikely. According to Vili, the Lord Baron is supposed to be incredibly busy right now.’

"I’ll go see."

Old Yor said to Lake and walked forward.

"Excuse me, honored guest, may I ask who you are?"

As Old Yor approached, the carriage came to a stop.

Neither the guards nor the driver spoke. The carriage curtain was pulled aside, and a young man in his teens leaped out.

The young man was dressed in exquisite, ornate clothing and carried himself with a noble air. A single glance told you he was from no ordinary family.

It was Finlay, who had come to visit Vili’s family on Lacas’s orders.

"Greetings, old sir. I am Finlay, a friend of Mr. Vili. I’ve come especially to visit his family."

Finlay wasn’t overly arrogant just because of Old Yor’s humble status.

"So you’re a friend of the Lord Village Chief!"

Realization dawned on Old Yor, followed by a surge of pride. ’Someone so distinguished has to come all this way just to visit the Lord Village Chief.’ As a resident of Fandou Village, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of pride.